Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Food and Kitchen-Supply Shops in Munich


Behemoth

Recommended Posts

It looks like we will very likely be moving to Munich next year. At long last, mountains! :smile: Please help us get settled in. Where are the good farmer's markets, ethnic markets, wine shops, restaurants, bars etc etc? Non-food related tips would also be very welcome.

In the meantime, any tips for our next visit would also be welcome...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Behemoth

I visited Munich only twice for a weeknd and I was hanging around with friends and didn't bother much about adresses, but I think eGulleteer Eric Malson understood the essentials about Munichs gastronomical lifestyle pretty well in his post:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...ndpost&p=602277

The only "Geheimtip" I can give you is "Andechser Schichtkäse", a handmade curd cheese (or quark or topfen). It can be found in better shops and I never had better curd anywhere. For me, it's the kind of a world class product locals don't care much about and visitors know nothing about.

Non-gastronomically, I found the sothern, pre-alpine region between Bad Tölz and Garmisch (notably Walchensee) a very rewarding part for hikes and excursions.

Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where are the good farmer's markets, ethnic markets, wine shops, restaurants, bars etc etc?

Don't miss the fairly central Viktualienmarkt - it's worth a visit for the visual displays alone. The quality and variety of the food seems very high - fruit, vegetable, charcuterie, cheese, fish etc. I've only visited this marvellous city on a few occasions and have never had the chance to prepare food so this judgement is largely based on appearances. There are several stalls and bars which sell food for eating there - sausage (of course), seafood, cheeses with beer (of course again) and a surprisingly wide selection of wine.

There is a tradition of eating a "second breakfast" mid morning which usually involves beer and sausage. Arcane rules determine what can be eaten and where and when - certain sausages must be eaten before 11:00 and there are attractive tables under the trees which seem to be reserved only for regulars. In spite of this, the whole place is very relaxed although I don't know how it would fit in with a working day.

My overall impression is that this is one of the best German cities for food - I'm told local people like to consider Munich as the most northern Italian city rather than the most southern German one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks like we will very likely be moving to Munich next year. At long last, mountains!  :smile:  Please help us get settled in. Where are the good farmer's markets, ethnic markets, wine shops, restaurants, bars etc etc? Non-food related tips would also be very welcome.

In the meantime, any tips for our next visit would also be welcome...

Check out the web page http://www.munich.de for basic informations about livestile, every day costs, markets, etc. Tell me more about your preferences and I'll help you to get settled in. Kerriar described Munich in a way I can't hardly better.

Munich, January 2005

H.B. aka "Legourmet"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a tradition of eating a "second breakfast" mid morning which usually involves beer and sausage. Arcane rules determine what can be eaten and where and when - certain sausages must be eaten before 11:00 and there are attractive tables under the trees which seem to be reserved only for regulars. In spite of this, the whole place is very relaxed although I don't know how it would fit in with a  working day.

I was in Munich for a week just before Christmas. Weisswurst is the usual sausage eaten before noon...it's a veal-based sausage. Quite more-ish. Reports say that locals peel it though I've seen some just chomp down. A sweet mustard accompanies this. This is supposed to be Munich's favoured sausage.

As you'll be there all year round, the Christmas markets (end Nov-just before Christmas) are a treat! There are a number scattered around Munich and the largest is at the Marienplatz. Many Germans also go up to Nurnberg for their famous Christkindlmarkt. If you do head up (check out the Bayern ticket...a terrific offer for all-day travel from 9am on weekdays or all day weekends that allows for travel on any train in Bavaria for up to 5 people...and it's only €24), eat some Nurnberg rostbratwurst, little finger length sausages that seem tastier in their town of origin. There are a number of restaurants selling them but in the Christkindlmarkt, many stalls sell them too. There is a place that does sell them in Munich, next to the Dom, but they just don't seem as tasty! Nurnberg is also famous for its lebkucken...haha, my office is working its way through a huge bagful of it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure I will get to experience all the traditional stuff (and I do look forward to it). Also looking forward to the Viktualienmarkt, though I've never been a big fan of Weisswurst... But I'd especially appreciate any info about ethnic food markets and restaurants. Aside from the expected Turkish grocers & imbiss, I mean.

For example, when I was in Berlin a local biweekly market had a great North African stand with the best Harissa I've ever had (including in North Africa). In Hamburg I found a little shop run by a Malasian lady that had sufficient quantities of real cilantro and chilies to keep my going. In Flensburg, the Citti Markt actually carries jars of Gochu Jang for some weird reason. (A Korean population in Flensburg??) The thing is, as much as I enjoy European food, after more than two weeks in Germany I tend to get a raging jones for fiery Bibim Naeng Myun or carnitas or something. (What can I say, I've lived in the US too long.) Most restaurants tend to cater too much to local tastes from what I've experienced (bland, no shared plates), and the supermarket offerings tend to be very hit-or-miss (yes fenugreek, no black mustard seeds, for example). I've never seen corn tortillas, or masa. I realize there is no good reason why they should have these things, but it is always a happy day when I find them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure I will get to experience all the traditional stuff (and I do look forward to it). Also looking forward to the Viktualienmarkt, though I've never been a big fan of Weisswurst... But I'd especially appreciate any info about ethnic food markets and restaurants. Aside from the expected Turkish grocers & imbiss, I mean.

For example, when I was in Berlin a local biweekly market had a great North African stand with the best Harissa I've ever had (including in North Africa). In Hamburg I found a little shop run by a Malasian lady that had sufficient quantities of real cilantro and chilies to keep my going. In Flensburg, the Citti Markt actually carries jars of Gochu Jang for some weird reason. (A Korean population in Flensburg??) The thing is, as much as I enjoy European food, after more than two weeks in Germany I tend to get a raging jones for fiery Bibim Naeng Myun or carnitas or something. (What can I say, I've lived in the US too long.) Most restaurants tend to cater too much to local tastes from what I've experienced (bland, no shared plates), and the supermarket offerings tend to be very hit-or-miss (yes fenugreek, no black mustard seeds, for example). I've never seen corn tortillas, or masa. I realize there is no good reason why they should have these things, but it is always a happy day when I find them.

Hi Behemoth

I'm pretty sure you"ll find all the mentioned ingredients in one out of more than 170 delicatessen shops in Munich. Among those you'll find Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Turkish, Korean, Thai, Italian. Spanish, Portugese,Mexican and Indian delis.

The Viktualienmarkt is a green market in downtown which is open 6 days a week. You can buy there nearly all kind of fruit and vegetables, even Durian and Jackfruit. Four fishmongers offer a great variaty of fish and crustances, If it swimms they have it. More than 10 butchers are located there. Shops for game, any sort of poultry, excellent cheese and wine complete the coulinary sceene. What you definitely not get in Munich are game hens, But you can order it via internet at " Petit Rungis' ".

The best delicatessen shops are "Dallmair" and "Käfer" but also the most expensive ones. The better price performance ratio offers "Galleria Kaufhof".

Restaurants are of the same variaty like the delis.

My favourite Thai restaurant is "Ruen Thai" (Exceptional Wine list)

The Italian restaurant "La Galleria" I like best. (very good italian wines)

The Restaurant "Weisses Bräuhaus" is my favourite German. (best Weissbier)

Tantris, Königshof, Aquarello, and other Michelin star decorated restaurants are good but very expensive

Lots of Wine shops in the city offering wines from countries they belong to.

Any specific questions? don't hesitate to ask.

Munich, January 2005

H.B. aka "Legourmet"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

legourmet, awesome. That's exactly the type of information I was looking for. When I lived in Philadelphia it was always easy to find the star restaurants, but the best place to get the cheap/offbeat stuff -- that's when you had to dig around or ask the locals. I will probably need to ask a lot more once we know what neighborhood we will be living in (and once I begin setting up my kitchen -- I hope we can get a place with a decent stove :huh: ) but in the meantime I've got a few months to daydream about fresh fish, game and Weissbier. It sounds like Munich will be a great place to live.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Recommended Restaurants in Munich from Toytownmunich.com -- I've been living in Munich for four years now and Toytown is a portal for fluent English speakers there. There are lots of restaurants listed (with space for independent reviews!) as well as lists of shops with the food from various countries that's hard to find. The forum is also very active.

Don't get too excited about fresh fish though, Munich's landlocked and although the Isar river is almost clean enough to officially swim in, there aren't many fish there.

And eating Weisswurst -- anyone who bites into it is not a local. You do NOT eat the skin. su-lin may have seen "Zutzler" -- that's someone who cuts off the end and sucks out the insides. Sounds gross, but this is one of the traditional ways to eat them (more common in men over the age of 70). Wikipedia on Weißwurst (in English) has more. They're not steamed either, just placed in non-boiling water, more steeped than anything else. Like tea.

Concur on Tantris and add Katzlmacher -- Italian food. Great. Purpur is a couple years old, Degustini is brand new -- all covered on Toytown. The Weisses Bräuhaus has been mentioned on this forum before, it's the classic venue for Bavarian, and the brewery for the best Weissbier -- Schneider Weisse.

Here's a real Geheimtipp -- when you clink a Weissbierglas, you have to clink the bottom of it, not the top. It's more solid and less likely to break as the evening goes on, and the Germans will do it that way. If you don't, you get two glasses like this: // you aiming for the top which is leaning back as the German aims for the bottom of your glass.

Hope to get in touch when you get to town!

Edited by Gen (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gen, thanks for the website and the other tips. And thanks for making this your first post in eGullet :smile:

I think the main thing that gicks me out about the weisswurst is the peeling... As for the thing with the beer glasses, I don't know if that is just in Munich, it seems like plain common sense. Maybe I will see you in Munchen!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

yeah I haven't gotten anyone to really tell me about the sociology of the zutzeln, but as I say, it's older men doing it. I believe it also sounds disgusting. Onomatopoetic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

One more question. What are the local "events" magazines -- i.e., local mags that list events and restaurant reviews. Toytown seems to be a great online resource, but I'd like to see some German stuff too. (e.g., in Hamburg we had Oxmox and Prinz.)

Also, how does the nightlife in München compare to that of Hamburg- I know the bars shut down a lot earlier...anything else I need to know?

Right now the plan is to be there in June for a couple of days to scope out neighborhoods, again over Thanksgiving to look for an apartment (ugh) and well, we think we'll be calling it home sometime in January. Well, half of us will be, I need to commute for a year to finish my degree :hmmm:

Looking forward to finally seeing the city. A. was there again a couple of days ago -- he tells me I'm going to love it :smile:

I'm planning on saving Tantris for when I am gainfully employed :rolleyes:

edit: oops, I should really do my own research first -- apparently there is a Prinz edition for München.

Edited by Behemoth (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
One more question. What are the local "events" magazines -- i.e., local mags that list events and restaurant reviews. Toytown seems to be a great online resource, but I'd like to see some German stuff too. (e.g., in Hamburg we had Oxmox and Prinz.)

Also, how does the nightlife in München compare to that of Hamburg- I know the bars shut down a lot earlier...anything else I need to know?

Right now the plan is to be there in June for a couple of days to scope out neighborhoods, again over Thanksgiving to look for an apartment (ugh) and well, we think we'll be calling it home sometime in January. Well, half of us will be, I need to commute for a year to finish my degree  :hmmm:

Looking forward to finally seeing the city. A. was there again a couple of days ago -- he tells me I'm going to love it :smile:

I'm planning on saving Tantris for when I am gainfully employed :rolleyes:

edit: oops, I should really do my own research first -- apparently there is a Prinz edition for München.

There is a Munich Prinz edition and the "Münchner Veranstaltungskalender" and you also can get a lot of flyers at the tourist information bureau in the Munich town hall.

Munich's nightlife is provincial compared to that of Hamburg. Because I'm not a nightlife guy I can't give you exact informations on that. I've heard that bars and nightbars may be opened until 5:00 o'clock am dependent on the owner's instructions. From 5:00 to 6:00 o'clock the places have to be closed and cleaned.

You surely will love Munich, it's a great place to live and a nice town.

Yesterday I have been in the Olympia stadion where a wine festival was celebrated (see the picture) and the world largest wine tasting was held. 3000 tasters followed the instructions of the world champion of the masters of wine. A great event.

gallery_23358_1341_8900.jpg

H.B. aka "Legourmet"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.prinz.de/muenchen/eventswm.html

http://dnbmuc.de/ (Drum n Bass Munich)

http://www.muenchenticket.de/

http://www.gomuenchen.com/

http://ganz-muenchen.de/

http://munichx.de/

http://www.munich-online.de/

http://www.munich-online.de/szeneevent/art18,58309.html

http://www.toytownmunich.com/archive/cat_m...nightclubs.html

http://www.toytownmunich.com/archive/cat_k...one_munich.html

http://www.toytownmunich.com/archive/cat_o...one_munich.html

http://www.toytownmunich.com/archive/tollw...r_festival.html

http://www.toytownmunich.com/archive/tollw...r_festival.html

Just a few links to get you started. Yeah I have a bias to Toytown, but the other sites are helpful too. And don't forget the Süddeutsche Zeitung (http://www.sueddeutsche.de/) which every Thursday has the "Extra" events section. http://jetzt.sueddeutsche.de/ is the extra website for younger people -- aimed at teenagers etc. but probably has a nightlife schedule in it somewhere, or at least more links to nightlife.

I don't go out much in Germany because all the nightspots are really really smoky. Summer's good as the beergardens are open. And of course the various theaters in town and the opera and the Philharmonic and the Bayerische Rundfunkorchester all have their own schedules, but I've done enough linkhunting for now. :)

Edited by Gen (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Gen and legourmet. I am not a wild club kid by any means (though I do enjoy the occasional night out dancing), but since moving away from Philadelphia what I really miss is seeing good live music. My tastes go from classical to jazz to weird experimental stuff so I am optimistic I will be able to find things to see. I will probably sign up on Toytown and ask around when we get closer to that time.

But we've strayed a bit far from any food discussions. As far as food goes, it sounds like Munich is the best possible place in Germany for us to have landed. :smile:

(Not to mention the fact that my husband is a huge Bayern-München fan. I suspect he does it mainly to annoy people -- from what I understand it is like being a yankees fan in the US :rolleyes: )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Okay the whole Biergarten thing was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I would worry about my future wasteline, but I saw so many tiny little women knocking back whole Mass of beer that I figure the biking and walking must take care of the problem. :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay the whole Biergarten thing was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I would worry about my future wasteline, but I saw so many tiny little women knocking back whole Mass of beer that I figure the biking and walking must take care of the problem. :cool:

That's Munich lifestyle. Nothing to worry about. It's not the beer but the Schweinsbraten und Knödel which may change the wasteline. How many Biergärten did you visit and when?

H.B. aka "Legourmet"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's Munich lifestyle. Nothing to worry about. It's not the beer but the Schweinsbraten und Knödel which may change the wasteline. How many Biergärten did you visit and when?

Three in five hours! :laugh:

We first stopped by the Loewenbrau one because it was close to our hotel and we were starving. Then as a future colleague gave us a tour around town we went to the one in Viktualienmarkt, and finally the one in the Englisher Garten. the second day we repeated the latter two. I discovered I am very partial to leberkaese, I suppose that is also not great for the waistline? :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's Munich lifestyle. Nothing to worry about. It's not the beer but the Schweinsbraten und Knödel which may change the wasteline. How many Biergärten did you visit and when?

Three in five hours! :laugh:

We first stopped by the Loewenbrau one because it was close to our hotel and we were starving. Then as a future colleague gave us a tour around town we went to the one in Viktualienmarkt, and finally the one in the Englisher Garten. the second day we repeated the latter two. I discovered I am very partial to leberkaese, I suppose that is also not great for the waistline? :rolleyes:

The latter two I know, the first I havn't visited yet. That's because I don't like Löwenbräu beer. Leberkäs und Brezn, a good choise for Brotzeit (snack). Most popular is the Augustiner close to the main station and the Hirschgarten in Laim. There are so many others to mention I can't do it now.

H.B. aka "Legourmet"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's beer gardens you want? We got 'em!

http://www.toytownmunich.com/archive/cat_m...er_gardens.html

To food: get the Steckerlfisch as a beergarden is pretty much the only place to find them. Fish grilled on a stick.

Leftover Leberkäse is good as a "Strammer Max". Saute a slice, put a fried egg on it, eat it on bread or French toast (in which case you can skip the fried egg). Sweet mustard on that too. The latter is a good way to use up old bread too -- living in Germany means (to me) eating looooots of bread and sometimes it just gets stale before I get to it. You can buy raw Leberkäse in a tinfoil loaf pan at a butcher's and take it home to bake in your own oven. Freezes well too (after baking).

The best Biergarten anyway is always the one within walking distance! ;) Yes you can get fined for riding your bike drunk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Okay, flipping this around a little: it looks like we are allowed to bring our dry goods.

What should I stock up on: Masa? Chilies? Asian stuff? Indian spices? I've heard cans of pumpkin filling are hard to come by, not that I use them more than once ayear.

We're definitely bringing at least one carton of Scrubbing Bubbles. (They work hard so we don't have to :wink: )

Oh, and we found an apartment :cool:

Edited by Behemoth (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

all that is easily available here -- mostly at the asian or indian shops and for chilies, the Viktualienmarkt. If you've already got it and are shipping a container and have space to fill you might as well bring it -- just to save the hassle of buying it all again.

Well ok scrubbing bubbles you can't get here, and the water is really really hard in Munich too, so you'll be glad of that -- but there are local products that work just as well.

http://www.pepperworld.com/default.asp -- this is a place in Germany to get more chiles and slow-bolt cilantro. I haven't ordered from them yet, but I'll get around to it. They're on the Bodensee, which is a nice weekend trip from Munich anyway.

Edited by Gen (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...